1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly to semiconductor devices which relieve memories by fuse elements and methods of blowing fuses thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In designing a memory of a semiconductor circuit, a defective cell is generally replaced with a redundancy cell. The defect cell is replaced with the redundancy cell by blowing a fuse element which is formed in the semiconductor circuit.
On the other hand, a semiconductor circuit has recently been designed by a functional circuit unit which is called a macro, and a circuit design is performed by arranging this macro in a semiconductor circuit forming region. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-7836 discloses an example in which a fuse element group is formed outside of a pad line when a logic circuit and a memory macro are arranged on the same substrate.
Generally, such a fuse element is prepared as a macro in circuit design, and it is arranged as a fuse element macro on a semiconductor substrate.
However, since such a fuse element macro is arranged in a circuit forming region or an external part of pads, the fuse element macro increases the area of a semiconductor chip.